What is german word for english

Schnitzel, dachshund, blitz – ever wondered what these words have in common? 

They’re all German words we use in English. German loanwords, to be exact – words that English speakers have ‘borrowed’, and use in more or less their original Germanic form. 

Think of these ‘loanwords’ as tiny pieces of German culture and language that have made their way into the English language. Little cultural artifacts, if you will, that you’ll find in the way English speakers describe their food and philosophy; or mention historical landmarks, like technological inventions or scientific discoveries. 

And if you’re wondering why we use German words in English, instead of making up new English words for them? 

Well, for one, they sound more interesting and sophisticated – not to mention more authentic. 

For the English language is actually made up of a mish-mash of foreign languages, ranging from Latin and Greek influences to loanwords from German, French, Spanish and Hebrew.

Here are 11 German loanwords used in English, and everything you need to know about them.

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1. Kindergarten

Have you ever wondered what the word ‘kindergarten’ actually means? 

Children’s garden. 

Yup, it actually translates to an actual garden for children. 

How lovely is that?! 

Now for an important fact: the German and American meanings of kindergarten don’t completely align. Kindergarten in American English refers to preschool, while, in German, the term refers to daycare for children aged three to six.

2. Angst

The original meaning of the German phrase die Angst translates to fear – the sort of irrational reaction that might make you shriek if you see a spider, or dread the next parent-teacher conference.

But in English speaking countries, angst describes a feeling of deep anxiety, worry, often caused by our reaction to things we find overwhelming, or that are out of our control.

For example, English speakers might say they ‘get angsty’ before getting the results for an exam, a medical test or a job interview.

3. Blitz

Blitz in English – apart from its association with food blenders – unfortunately has some of the same ‘world war’ connotations that originate from the German.

But here’s a little more information on how the association came about.

While the original definition in German is simply ‘bolt’,  the term as we know it today was coined by the German term “Blitzkrieg”, which meant a war that came to an end quickly – as quick as a lightning bolt. 

4. Dachshund

Dachshunds – you know, those beautiful and sometimes silly-looking sausage dogs word that make do cause a lot of excessive ‘oooh’-ing and ‘aww’-ing, – is a great example of a word whose meaning has changed over time.

As a German speaker, the word ‘dachshund’ means very little to me (it’s what I like to call a ‘false friend’).  

Literally speaking, though, dachshund means ‘badger dog’. This is because this particular type of dog was originally reared to find the dens of foxes and badgers. 

Nowadays, dachshund in English refers to your average, mischievous pet sausage dog, whereas sausage dogs in German – whether they’re bred specifically for hunting, or for our need for a bit of TLC (tender loving care) – are called ‘Dackel’.

5. Doppelgänger

The German language can be very descriptive, as Geman words are often a combination of two or more words. 

This adds a whole new level of specificity and accuracy to their meanings – as in the case for this loanword: German “Doppelgänger” literally means ‘double goer’.

This translates to someone who is the spitting image of someone else, even though they’re not related. 

Cool and freaky at the same time, right?

6. Fest

We use fest in English to describe a gathering based around a particular activity or thing – think of events like music festivals or concerts.

In German, however, das Fest has a slightly stronger celebratory twang to it, but it more or less carries the same meaning.

7. Kaput

Short and simple: kaputt in German means broken.

You’ll see frustrated Germans using it all the time to describe something that used to work, or that doesn’t work anymore.

Mostly, it’ll be in relation to inanimate objects (the type that don’t talk back!), like TV or your phone screen, but you can also use kaputt figuratively to describe things like a broken relationship. 

8. Rucksack

Another a great example of a very descriptive German loanword that’s made up of two.

‘Ruck’ derives from rücken (back), and sack has the same meaning as sack in English – so together, rucksack basically just means a sack we carry on the back.

See: sometimes, understanding a language can be as easy as sacks on backs! 

9. Schnapps

As with many German words we’ve seen so far, schnapps has a slightly different spelling and a more specific meaning in English.

In German, “Schnaps” could technically refer to any shot of liquor, whereas in English we also use it to mean a grain, potato or fruit spirit made in northern and eastern parts of Europe.  

10. Wanderlust

Have you ever felt a burning desire to travel and explore the world? Or embark on adventure, where the journey is more important than the destination?

“Wanderlust” is the word you’re after to express that kind of longing.

The word comes from wandern (to hike) and lust haben (to feel like / to fancy).

11. Zeitgeist

It’s one of my favourite words of all time – and, again, shows just how well German can convey a complex idea in a single word.

“Zeitgeist” is made up of Zeit (time) and geist (spirit) and describes the ideas and beliefs of an era.

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Learned something new today?

We sure hope you did!

And remember: German loanwords aren’t just a great way to add a few more expressions to your vocabulary bank; they also give you a cheeky headstart when you start learning German.

Can you think of any more German loanwords? Comment and let us know!

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Now that you already know more than a couple of handfuls of German words, why not give it a proper try?

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Do you find yourself struggling to start learning German?

If the main reason is that you find German difficult, you should know that you’re not alone.

To succeed, you need to
stay motivated. Only then you’ll find learning German possible. 

How can you do that?

We are happy to give you some exciting news: you probably already know some German words.

How’s this possible?

German words in English didn’t appear by accident. These two languages come from the same language family group, so, even if they look totally different at first sight, they are quite similar.

German in the English-speaking world

To understand why there are so many similar words in these languages, it’s essential to mention that over the long period of history these languages crossed their paths many times. 

Let’s go through a quick history lesson.

Both English and German come from the same language family, so we can say that they are linguistic siblings. 

They are descendants from the Proto-Germanic language.

The big immigration happened after World War II, during the 50s, 60s, and even 70s when more than three million German crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in America. 

Most of them found their new home in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and in the so-called German Triangle in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Even though they were far away from their first homeland, they continued to use German in their daily life. 

Over time, they merged with other communities, so English came into everyday usage. This way, they created new English words from German.

So, not only do English and German have the same root but they ‘came across each other once again’ after thousands of years, and had an impact on each other.

It resulted in words that many of us use every day, but we aren’t aware that they originate from German. 

The Most Common German Words in English

Most of the English speakers can recognize German words in English contexts.

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, these words are more often used in American English than in British English.

To show you that you already know some words in German, let’s play a little game: take a glimpse at the word without reading its explanation. 

Say its meaning out loud. Then read the explanation. We bet that you’ll know most of them.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in.

Animals

Hamster

It’s a cute little animal many people love to keep as a pet. The word is considered to come from German.

Hund

Dogs are peoples’ best friends. Interestingly, the word ‘hund’ from German to English isn’t used as ‘dog’ but for dog lovers.

Katze

It isn’t totally the same but similar. Cat lovers will understand it right away.

Maus

Tiny little ‘mouse’ sounds the same in English as well as in German. 

Pudel

Poodles are cute and sophisticated dogs. Their name comes from German ‘Pudel.’

Rottweiler

One more dog breed, not as cute as the previous one, but quite appreciated.

Schnauzer

Yes, Germans love dogs. That’s why one more dog breed comes from German.

Family members and home

Bruder

With German origins, the word ‘bruder’ in English is used as ‘brother.’

Haus

Not only is it pronounced almost the same, but the word ‘house’ is also written almost the same.

Mutter

We are pretty sure that an additional explanation isn’t necessary. This is the greatest and the most beautiful word of all. Mother.

Name

Here we have one more word that is written the same way as in English. The pronunciation is, however, slightly different.

Food and Drink

Bretzl

No, it’s not a mistake. The word ‘pretzel’ in German is ‘breztl.’ For those who aren’t quite familiar, this word represents a baked pastry that is shaped into a knot.

Hamburger

This worldwide known word comes from German. In this language, it refers to a person who comes from Hamburg, the city in Germany.

Lager

Germans love beer. They have all kinds of beer. So, it’s no wonder the word ‘lager’ comes from German. A lager beer is stored for some time before it’s served.

Mozartkugel

There is no need to thoroughly explain this word since you surely know what the ‘Mozartkugel’ is. Or, translated to English, ‘Mozart balls.’

Muesli

Germans are known for drinking beer but did you know that they also consume cereals? The word ‘muesli’ comes from this language too.

Nudel

Everyone likes noodles. Even Germans. In fact, they like them so much that the word ‘noodle’ comes from their language.

Schnaps

An alcoholic drink, hard liquor. It’s pronounced the same in both English and German. In English, the written form is a bit different, by adding one more ‘p’ letter; ‘schnapps.’

Wiener

The word comes from the German ‘Wiener Würstchen,’ which means Viennese sausage.

Art, Culture, and Society

Fest

You’ve heard of the Octoberfest or Maifest, but do you know what the word ‘fest’ literally means?  It means ‘party.’

Frau/ Fräulein 

This etiquette indicates whether a woman is married or not. It’s used out of respect.

Gestapo

We are sure that, when said in English, everyone knows what Gestapo means. In German, the word ‘gestapo’ literally means ‘police.’

Kindergarten

In German, ‘kinder’ means ‘child,’ and ‘garten’ means ‘garden.’

Kitsch

An art, kitsch means that something is of a very low taste or quality.

Leitmotif

Leitmotif is often used to explain a literary or music theme in the meaning of ‘leading motive.’

Nazi

When you hear this word, you certainly don’t connect it to something good. It represents a person or an idea that is associated with tyranny and Hitler. Today, however, it became quite common that when you say to someone that he is ‘nazi,’ it can mean that he is a very fanatic person.

Poltergeist

It refers to a noisy ghost that moves around objects.

Putsch

During history, all over the world, this action was used to overthrow the government.

Reich

This word is mostly used within the phrase ‘The Third Reich.’ Even though this word means ‘empire,’ due to its connection to Hitler’s reign, in English, it mainly represents tyranny.

Waltz

A formal type of dance surely everyone loves.

Wanderlust

The word refers to a huge desire to travel around the world.

Wunderkind

Wunderkind, or in other words, wonder child, is a term when your child, out of the blue, shows you how perfectly they calculate, think, or play the piano. In other words, it’s a child prodigy.

Sport and recreation

Foosball

Football, or written with the German alphabet ‘Fußball’ refers to soccer in general.

Haversack

‘Haversack’ is a bag with one strap that is mainly used by business people or bicyclists.

Karabiner

It is a shorter form of the word  ‘Karabinerhaken,’ which represents a metal loop with a screwed gate for climbing.

Rucksack

Another word for a backpack.

Technology

Automat

This word refers to a machine for money but also to serve food and drinks.

Blitz

The word ‘blitz’ has some negative connotations since it was commonly used in World War II. It was at the time when the word’ blitzkrieg’ was used for war to end quickly, just like a lightning bolt.

Diesel

Named after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel, diesel fuel is more used than petrol.

Kraft

In German, it means ‘strong, powerful.’ In English, it is known as a part of the phrase ‘kraft paper,’ which represents a strong paper used to make sacks.

Panzer

Literally, this word means ‘armor’ in German, but in English, it’s a synonym for the light military tank.

Telefon

No matter if you pronounce it in English, or in German, it is the same. A slight difference is only in writing.

Volkswagen

The word ‘volks’ means ‘people,’ and ‘wagen’ means ‘car.’ It is then perfectly logical that Volkswagen is one of the most favorite cars in the world.

Zeppelin

This word represents a rigid airship that is named after its inventor, German Ferdinand von Zeppelin. The word became  commonly used for all airships.

German Verbs

Abseil

The full verb in German is ‘sich abseilen,’ which means ‘to rope oneself down.’ In English, it’s used as ‘roping (down)’ or ‘rappelling.’

Haben

In the meaning ‘to have,’ this verb is very similar to English.

Yodeln

In English, it’s used as ‘yodel,’ which means to pronounce or create the sound ‘Yo,’ that is, to sing alternates rapidly between a head and a chest voice.

Can you try to ‘yodeln?’

Other German words in English that we use every day

Achtung

In the meaning of ‘attention,’ this word is well-known all over the world, so many English speakers and natives started using it. It’s mainly used for literary effect.

Angst

In English, The word ‘angst’ expresses depression and anxiety.

Eisberg

The word berg comes from German in the meaning of ‘mountain.’ So, roughly translated from English to German, the ‘iceberg’ is ‘the mountain of ice.’

Kaputt

In English, this word is not used alone, but everyone knows about the phrase when ‘The car is kaput.’ It means that it’s broken.

Lampe

The word ‘lamp’ comes from the German ‘lampe.’

Neu

It’s one of the words that originate from German to English in the meaning ‘new.’

Nix

This word comes from dialectical ‘nichts,’ which means ‘nothing’ in English.

Und

We can’t imagine our everyday conversations without this word. In German, it is ‘und.’ In English, however, it is ‘and.’

Conclusion

This list is only one part of German words. 

Now that you saw for yourself that you already know some of the words, then you could start learning the language.

You don’t need to sit at the table, open your grammar or textbook, and study the old fashioned way 

You have so many different and effective ways to learn German and
expand your vocabulary.

And, if you’ve ever thought that you needed a German translator, we bet you changed your views, didn’t you?

It may sound pretty ‘rough’ and many would say that Germans are shouting when they’re talking. However, the truth is that German is a strong and powerful language.

Nowadays, online lessons are effective and affordable, so you can boost your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation with
German tutors on Justlearn from the comfort of your own home.

Updated on January 30, 2019

English has borrowed many words from German. Some of those words have become a natural part of everyday English vocabulary (angst, kindergarten, sauerkraut), while others are primarily intellectual, literary, scientific (Waldsterben, Weltanschauung, Zeitgeist), or used in special areas, such as gestalt in psychology, or aufeis and loess in geology.

Words With No English Equivalent

Some of these German words are used in English because there is no true English equivalent: gemütlich, schadenfreude. Words in the list below marked with * were used in various rounds of Scripps National Spelling Bees in the U.S.

Here’s an A-to-Z sample of German loan words in English:

German Words in English
ENGLISH	DEUTSCH	MEANING
alpenglow	s Alpenglühen	a reddish glow seen on the mountain tops around sunrise or sunset
Alzheimer’s disease	e Alzheimer Krankheit	brain disease named for the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who first identified it in 1906
angst/Angst	e Angst	«fear» — in English, a neurotic feeling of anxiety and depression
Anschluss	r Anschluss	«annexation» — specifically, the 1938 annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany (the Anschluss)
apple strudel	r Apfelstrudel	a type of pastry made with thin layers of dough, rolled up with a fruit filling; from the German for «swirl» or «whirlpool»
aspirin	s Aspirin	Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid) was invented by the German chemist Felix Hoffmann working for Bayer AG in 1899.
aufeis	s Aufeis	Literally, «on-ice» or «ice on top» (Arctic geology). German citation: «Venzke, J.-F. (1988): Beobachtungen zum Aufeis-Phänomen im subarktisch-ozeanischen Island. — Geoökodynamik 9 (1/2), S. 207-220; Bensheim.»
autobahn	e Autobahn	«freeway» — The GermanAutobahn has almost mythical status.
automat	r Automat	a (New York City) restaurant that dispenses food from coin-operated compartments
Bildungsroman* pl. Bildungeromane	r Bildungsroman Bildungsromane pl.	«formation novel» — a novel that focuses on the maturation of, and the intellectual, psychological, or spiritual development of the main character
blitz	r Blitz	«lightning» — a sudden, overwhelming attack; a charge in football; the Nazi attack on England in WWII (see below)
blitzkrieg	r Blitzkrieg	«lightning war» — a rapid-strike war; Hitler’s attack on England in WWII
bratwurst	e Bratwurst	grilled or fried sausage made of spiced pork or veal
cobalt	s Kobalt	cobalt, Co; see Chemical Elements
coffee klatsch (klatch) Kaffeeklatsch	r Kaffeeklatsch	a friendly get-together over coffee and cake
concertmaster concertmeister	r Konzertmeister	the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra, who often also serves as assistant conductor
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease CJD	e Creutzfeldt-Jakob- Krankheit	«mad cow disease» or BSE is a variant of CJD, a brain disease named for the German neurologists Hans Gerhardt Creutzfeldt (1883-1964) and Alfons Maria Jakob (1884-1931)
dachshund	r Dachshund	dachshund, a dog (der Hund) originally trained to hunt badger (der Dachs); the «wiener dog» nickname comes from its hot-dog shape (see «wiener»)
degauss	s Gauß	to demagnetize, neutralize a magnetic field; the «gauss» is a unit of measurement of magnetic induction (symbol G orGs, replaced by the Tesla), named for German mathematician and astronomerCarl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855).
deli delicatessen	s Delikatessen	prepared cooked meats, relishes, cheeses, etc.; a shop selling such foods
diesel	r Dieselmotor	The diesel engine is named for its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel(1858-1913).
dirndl	s Dirndl s Dirndlkleid	Dirndl is a southern German dialect word for «girl.» A dirndl (DIRN-del) is a traditional woman’s dress still worn in Bavaria and Austria.
Doberman pinscher Dobermann	F.L. Dobermann r Pinscher	dog breed named for the German Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1894); the Pinscher breed has several variations, including the Dobermann, although technically the Dobermann is not a true pinscher
doppelgänger doppelganger	r Doppelgänger	«double goer» — a ghostly double, look-alike, or clone of a person
Doppler effect Doppler radar	C.J. Doppler (1803-1853)	apparent change in the frequency of light or sound waves, caused by rapid movement; named for the Austrian physicist who discovered the effect
dreck drek	r Dreck	«dirt, filth» — in English, trash, rubbish (from Yiddish/German)
edelweiss*	s Edelweiß	a small flowering Alpine plant (Leontopodium alpinum), literally «noble white»
ersatz*	r Ersatz	a replacement or substitute, usually implying inferiority to the original, such as «ersatz coffee»
Fahrenheit	D.G. Fahrenheit	The Fahrenheit temperature scale is named for its German inventor, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), who invented the alcohol thermometer in 1709.
Fahrvergnügen	s Fahrvergnügen	«driving pleasure» — word made famous by a VW ad campaign
fest	s Fest	«celebration» — as in «film fest» or «beer fest»
flak/flack	die Flak das Flakfeuer	«anti-aircraft gun» (FLiegerAbwehrKanone) — used in English more like das Flakfeuer(flak fire) for heavy criticism («He’s taking a lot of flak.»)
frankfurter	Frankfurter Wurst	hot dog, orig. a type of German sausage (Wurst) from Frankfurt; see «wiener»
Führer	r Führer	«leader, guide» — a term that still has Hitler/Nazi connections in English, more than 70 years after it first came into use

*Words used in various rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee held annually in Washington, D.C.

Also see: The Denglisch Dictionary — English words used in German

What German words do we use in English?

Top 20 German words used in English

• Kindergarten. Kinder = children. Garten = garden.
• Iceberg = Eisberg. Eis = ice. Berg = mountain.
• Wunderkind. Wunder = wonder, miracle. Kind = child.
• Angst. Angst = fear.
• Uber- = über. über = above, beyond.
• Zeitgeist. Zeit = time. Geist = spirit.
• Doppelganger = Doppelgänger. Doppel- = double.
• Poltergeist. poltern = to rumble.

How is German similar to English?

Close Language: German This is why English and German share a great deal of vocabulary. All of this overlap in pronunciation and meaning means that despite German’s complicated grammar, English and German are still considered 60% lexically similar.

What are the characteristics of Germanic language?

All Germanic languages have strong and weak verbs; that is, they form the past tense and past participle either by changing the root vowel in the case of strong verbs (as in English lie, lay, lain or ring, rang, rung; German ringen, rang, gerungen) or by adding as an ending -d (or -t) or -ed in the case of weak verbs ( …

What is the German language known for?

German is famous for its excessively long words with the longest word being made up of 79 letters!

Which language is easiest to learn?

And The Easiest Language To Learn Is…

1. Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers.
2. Swedish.
3. Spanish.
4. Dutch.
5. Portuguese.
6. Indonesian.
7. Italian.
8. French.

Is German harder than English?

English Grammar is easier than German Grammar. English is 50% of Grammar and 50% or vocabulary. Whereas German is 75% Grammar and 25% vocabulary ( which is equally difficult).

Is French or German more useful?

Surveys suggest French, to be a more useful language, especially in terms of business. The French language dominates in telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, aeronautics and more. On the other hand, German is the standard native language of Germany. Around 90 million people around the world speak German.

Can English speakers understand German?

Can English speakers understand German? No is the short and correct answer. However, English is largely a Germanic language, or started that way, so there are constructions and words in German that will be familiar. Even so, the present-day languages are very different.

Which language can English speakers understand?

Of these, Spanish and Italian are the easiest for native English speakers to learn, followed by Portuguese and finally French.

Is Irish harder than German?

You’ll see that it says Irish is even harder than German (the former requires around 44 weeks of studies to get a good level in the language. The latter is requires around 30). Nonetheless, Irish sound is just beautiful. It’s difficult only because it’s very different from in the Indo-European norm.

Is Irish a dying language?

The 2016 census showed that inhabitants of the officially designated Gaeltacht regions of Ireland numbered 96,090 people: down from 96,628 in the 2011 census. A follow-up report by the same author published in 2015 concluded that Irish would die as a community language in the Gaeltacht within a decade.

Is Irish a tough language?

Is Irish hard to learn compared to other languages? It is a difficult language to learn. It has so many of its own rules and it can be complicated.

How difficult is Irish?

Irish is exceptionally difficult for any latin-like language speaker to learn. Every Irish person spends 14 years or so learning Irish. Most get absolutely nowhere.

Is Irish worth learning?

“Irish is such a beautiful language and is well worth learning. It’s a different way of thinking and the language allows you to express yourself in creative ways not possible in most major European languages. It’s certainly a language worth saving and holding on to,” Bayda told Irish state broadcaster RTE.

How close are Irish and Welsh?

Despite the two being Celtic languages, Welsh and Irish aren’t particularly similar and have little-to-no mutual ineligibility with one-another – Irish is a Goidelic form of Celtic, whereas Welsh is of the Brittonic branch which became distinct c.

Is it difficult to learn Irish?

Is Learning to Speak Irish Difficult? Irish has a reputation for being difficult to learn, but as an English speaker you will find that Irish uses the same Latin alphabet as English.

What is the best way to learn Irish?

Ranganna.com is a user-friendly and comprehensive e-learning website that lets you learn authentic, every-day Irish independently and at your own pace. In short, it is the best place to learn Irish online.

Can I learn Gaelic?

Yes, you can learn Scottish Gaelic, wherever you live in the world! With the availability of distance or online courses, internet resources and books and DVDs, there are now various options for learning Gaelic without having to even set foot in Scotland!

Is Gaelic the same as Irish?

Why Gaelic Isn’t Irish The Irish language is sometimes referred to as “Gaeilge” (pronounced Gwal-gah), but it is not Gaelic; Gaelige is the name of the Irish language in Irish. Like its Gaelic cousin, both are Indo-European languages, but Irish is actually a language unto its own.

What is the traditional Irish language?

Irish. The Gaelic language in Ireland – Gaeilge, or Irish as it’s known locally – is a Celtic language and one of “the oldest and most historic written languages in the world” according to Foras na Gaeilge.